Wallet construction having secret compartment



Dec. 30, 1947. M. SMALLMAN 2,433,714

WALLET CONSTRUCTION HAVING SECRET COMPARTMENT 7 Filed Oct. 16, 1945 I ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1947 WALLET CONSTRUCTION HAVING SECRET COMPARTMENT Murray Smallman, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to I. Smallman & Sons, Garfield, N. J., a partnership Application October 16, 1943, Serial No. 506,495

2 Claims.

This invention relates to articles such as billfolds and wallets, and more particularly to such articles in which a secret compartment, is provided which is normally concealed from view.

It is among the objects or this invention to provide a wallet or billfold having a novel and im proved secret compartment normally concealed from view; to provide a wallet construction including a first compartment which may be closed by a separable fastener and a secret compartment in said first compartment normally concealed from view; to provide a wallet construction including inner and outer walls secured together to form a pocket, a first partition dividing the pocket into separate compartments and a second, nor mally concealed, partition dividing one of the compartments into sub-compartments, one of which is normally concealed from view; and to provide a wallet construction having main compartments and a sub-compartment provide-d with a novel closure member.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptionand the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention embodying a separable fastener.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View on a somewhat smaller scale, illustrating a secret compartment forming part of the wallet or billfold illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a novel closure member fOr a sub-compartment of the wallet or billfold illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4'4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1 showing the wallet or billfold in an expanded, open position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a wallet incorporating thesecret compartment of Fig. li, and corresponding to the line 'l-l of Fig. 6.

In the wallet or billfold of the present invention, inner and outer walls are secured together to form a pocket, with the inner, wall being less in width than the outer Wall. The outer wall is provided with an integral outer edge portion turned inwardly towards the inner wall. A first partition is disposed between the inner and outer walls to divide the pocket into compartments. A flap is secured between the integral edge portion and the main portion of the outer wall and extends downwardly, below the outer edge of the partition, into the compartment formed between the partition and the outer wall. A second partition is disposed in the compartment formed between the first partition and the outer wall, and has its outer edge normally concealed by said fiap. In one embodiment of the invention, the inner wall is divided into longitudinally spaced sections, and means are secured to these sections to form additional sub-compartments or pockets. One of these pockets is provided with a novel closure member which has one end secured in the pocket by a fastener which also cooperates with the other end of the closure member to form releasable fastening means for the closure member.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 through 5, the billfold therein illustrated includes an outer wall I0 and an inner wall 15 secured together by stitching l I, [2 to form a pocket therebetween. If desired, the inner and outer walls Ill and [5 may be formed from a single member which is folded back upon itself. As shown, the upper edge [3 of inner wall l5 terminates below the upper edge I4 of outer wall Iii. Outer wall I9 is provided with an integral edge portion it turned inwardly towards the outer edge iii of the inner wall. A first partition 2E! is disposed between walls Ill and IE to divide the pocket formed thereby into compartments I1 and i3. Preferably, partition 20 is formed at each end with tabs 2| and 22, which project upwardly beneath inturned edge l6 of wall 10, and are secured thereto by stitching H and I 2.

The novel feature of the present invention is the provision of a secret pocket which is normally concealed from view. While prior constructions have provided such a secret pocket, such arrangements have not been adapted for use in billfolds in which a releasable fastening means, such as a slide fastener, is used to close one of the com-- partments I! or Hi. In the present invention, this difficulty is overcome by providing a separate flap 23 having its upper edge secured beneath upper edge portion l6 by stitching 24 and 26. Flap 23 extends into pocket I! with its lower edge 2'! disposed inwardly of the outer edge 28 of partition 20. As shown more clearly in Fig. 2, a second partition 25 is arranged between partition 28 and outer wall Ill. The lower outer ends 33 and 34 of partition 25 are secured to the walls Ill and I5 by stitching II and i2. partition 25 is disposed beneath the flap 23, and is located a considerable distance above the lower edge 21 of such flap. Flap 23 therefore normally conceals the compartment formed by partition 25 The upper edge '32 offrom view. To enhance such concealment, partition 25 may be of the same material and have the same configuration as outer wall In, so that when the wallet is opened partition 25 appears to be a part of wall It. Partition 25 cooperates with outer wall in to form a secret pocket 38, which is a subdivision of pocket 18.

A separable closure means 35 is provided to close the compartment H. This closure means may comprise a slide fastener having one portion 33 secured beneath edge It and the other portion 34 secured to the upper edge 28 of partition 25!. The ends of fastener 35 may be secured .to walls l and by the stitching II and [2. The opening provided when fastener 35 is disengaged is of less length than the length of wall [0. Thereby, the outer ends of partition are always concealed from view, so that it is impossible to detect the presence of this partition, and the secret compartment formed thereby, even when fastener is opened.

Inner wall it is cut away as at 36 and 31 to form two longitudinally spaced sections 38 and 4B. As shown more particularly in Fig. 5,, a member 41 has its upper edge 42 secured to the inturned outer edge 13 of section 48 of wall l5 and extends parallel thereto to form a second pocket 43. Referring to Fig. 4, a partition member 44 has its upper edge 35 secured adjacent the left end thereof to the upper edge 13 of section 38 of wall l5. The opposite or right end 46 of partition member 34 extends into the pocket 53 forming, with partition 41, a pocket 85, Partition member 34 and section 38 of wall 15 cooperate to form a pocket 38. Adjacent its center portion, wall I5 is provided with a small tab 4'! folded inwardly behind partition member 25 and secured to wall If). Tab 41 bulges parti tion 25 into a curved recess (Figs. 1 and 4) of partition 28 to substantially interlock these partitions.

Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of a novel closure member for pocket i3. This closure member comprises a strap 56 having its inner end 51 disposed in pocket 43 and turned back upon itself. The inner end 5! has secured thereto one member 52 of a suitable fastening means such as a snap fastener. The member 52 is secured to and extends through section to of inner wall l5. The outer end 53 of strap 59 normally extends parallel to the outer surface of section id, and the other member 5 3 of the snap fastener is secured in outer end 53 for cooperation with member 52 of the snap fastener. The closure comprises a flap 55 which is folded upon itself and has a substantially rectangular end 56 disposed in pocket 43 and an outer end 5! extending along the outside of section d9. Inner end 56 again subdivides pocket i3 into pockets 9t and 95. As shown in ig. 3, flap 55 is provided with apertures 6i], BI and 62 through which strap '56 extends. Thereby flap 55 is slidably mounted on strap 5!] and is held in closed position by engagement of the parts and 54 of the snap fastener. As will be noted in Figs. 1 and 3, strap 50 extends through flap 5% in such a manner that the outer portion of the strap is disposed externally of the outer portion of the flap.

Fig. 6 illustrates how the principles of ,the in vention may be applied to a wallet .or billfold which does not include a slide fastener. Generally speaking, the embodiment shown in .Fig. .6 is essentially the same in construction as that shown in Figs. 1 through 5. It comprises an outer wall 65 and an inner wall 10 secured together to form a pocket, with the outer edge 66 of the inner wall being disposed beneath the outer edge 6'! of the outer wall. Outer wall 65 is provided with an integral edge portion 68 extending inwardly toward edge 66. A first partition H is disposed between walls 65 and iii and divides the pocket formed thereby into compartment i2 and 73. A flap M has its upper edge secured between inturned edge 68 and the main portion of wall 65. The lower edge 15 of flap 14 is disposed inwardly of the outer edge 16 of partition H .and also inwardly of the outer edge 66 of wall "fill. The secret compartment 11 in this instance is formed .by a second partition l8 having its upper edge disposed beneath flap 14. The remainder of the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 through 5, so that further description thereof does not appear to be necessary.

By the described construction, a secret compartment is provided which is normally concealed from View both when the wallet is opened as well as when the wallet is closed. The arrangement permits the use of a separable fastener for closing one compartment of the wallet. Additionally, the partition forming the secret compartment is preferably of the same material and has the same configuration as its adjacent outer wall, so that it is substantially impossible to detect the presence of the partition or the secret compartment formed thereby. The construction also embodies a novel closure arrangement for a subpocket of the wallet, in which a single closure means is used both to secure the closure to the pocket and to form a releasable fastening means therefor. The illustrated wallet constructions are simple and economical to manufacture and reliable and long wearing in use.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described to illustrate the application of the principles thereof, it will be obvious that the invention may be otherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. An article of the character described comprising inner and outer walls secured together to form a pocket, said inner wall being narrower than said outer wall and said outer wall having an integral edge portion turned inwardly toward said inner wall; a first partition disposed between said walls to divide said pocket into two compartments and having an outer edge disposed between the outer edges of said inner and outer walls; said first partition having tabs at each end extending outwardly therefrom, to define an access opening to one of said compartments, which tabs are secured between said integral edge portion and the main portion of said outer wall; a flap secured between said integral edge portion and the main portion of said outer wall, said flap ex tending into the compartment between said partition and said outer wall; asecond partition disposed between said first partitionand said outer wall and secured only at its lower outer ends to said first partition and said walls, the outer longitudinal edge of said second partition being normally concealed by said flap and the transverse edges thereof being concealed by said tabs, whereby said second partition and said outer wall cooperate to form a secret compartment; and a slide fastener connecting the outer edge of said first partition .to said integral edge portion between said tabs to releasably close the compartment in which said second partition is disposed;

said fastener extending only between the inner edges of said tabs to assist in concealing said second partition.

2. A billfold or the like comprising a pair of Walls secured together to form pocket means therebetween, one wall being divided to form longitudinally spaced sections; a strap having cooperating portions of a separable fastener on each end, one end of said strap extending into said pocket means with the fastener portion thereon secured through the adjacent section of said one wall, and said strap being reversed on itself at a point substantially intermediate said separable fastener portions, the free end of the strap extending along the outer side of said adjacent section of said one wall for releasable engagement of said fastener portions; and a flap member slidable on said strap and having a portion inside and subdividing said pocket means 6 and a reversely directed portion extending along the outer end of said strap to form a closure for one of the subdivisions of said pocket means.

MURRAY SMALLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

